Robert reach



(No Model.)

B. REACH.

TUG OF WAR BELT.

No, 437,822.. Patented Oct. '7, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT REACH, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICANPATENTS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

TUG-OF-WAR BELT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 437,822, dated October'7, 1890.

Application filed July 7, 1890. Serial No. 357,963- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT REACH, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and countyof Philadelphia, and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTug-of-VVar Belts, of which the following is a specification.

In that class of gymnastic exercise known as the tug of war, and inwhich two parties pull in opposite directions upon a rope to test thestrength of such parties, it is common to make use of what is known as atug-belt, which is a padded structure applied around the waist of eachend man to receive the end loop of the rope and prevent injury from thesevere strains resulting from drawing upon the rope. Such tug-belts asheretofore constructed have been made of leather and metal, and are notonly heavy and expensive, but are apt to wound and injure the person ofthe wearers from the strain upon the rope forcing the corners of themetal pieces against the hips. In order to avoid these objections I makethe belt as fully set forth hereinafter, and as illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of. themetallic portion of the belt. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of thecompleted belt, except the shoulder-straps and braces, which are notshown, as they may be of any suitable char acter and without anydifference from the construction usually employed. Fig. 3 is an innerizuie view of the buffer portion or pad of the The belt consists of thetwo main portions A B, the former portion or hearing consisting of metalbent in one direction to partially encircle the body, and also bent orindented transversely to form an external or circumferential groove 00,adapted to receive the rope.

The metallic bearing portion A is preferably struck or hammered orsprung up from thin metal, and is suitably strengthened at the edges,either by doubling it upon itself or i by strengthening-bars 2 2, andwhen the latter are used they maybe secured in place by turning orbending the metal back over them, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

The inner or pad portion 13 of the belt may be of any suitableconstruction to afford a padded covering for the metallic portion; but Iprefer to make the same in the form of an air-belt consisting of twostrips 3 4, connected at the edges and sewed transversely along lines yy, so as to form air cells or chambers w, the scams 3 extending verynearly, but not quite, to one edge of the belt to leaveconnecting-passages 5 between the chambers, so that the air will flowfrom one to the other.

The air-chambers may be filled through a short tube 5, provided with anordinary airvalve 6.

A buckle 7 may be connected to a tongue or prolongation of the belt atone end, the other end being elongated to form a connecting-strap 8.

The inner portion B of the belt may be secured to the outer portion byrivets at intervals or in any other suitable manner.

The article constructed as above described serves as a most effectualguard or protector, inasmuch as the continuous metallic bearing portionA will not buckle or bend under the movements of the wearer, except to aslight extent, as the ends are brought to or from each other, while theinner cushion prevents the pressure upon the belt from wounding theperson of the wearer, and there are no corners to be forced into thebody.

The air-cushion, being divided into different compartments, affords ayielding elastic cushion, which is much more comfortable than the paddedcushions heretofore employed, and the whole structure is but aboutonetenth the weight of the ordinary articles.

lVithoutlimitingmyself to the precise construction and arrangement ofparts shown, I clai1n- 1. A tug-belt consisting of a curved metallicouter bearing having a peripheral recess and an inner cushion,substantially as set forth.

2. The combination,in a tug-belt, of a continuous curved metallicbearing having a pcripheral recess and strengthened at the edges,

and an inner cushion, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in a tug-belt, of an outerbearing consisting of asheet-metal plate curved longitudinally and transversely and Intestimony whereof I have signed my strengthened at the edges by bars 22, and an name to this specification in the presence of inner cushion,substantially as described. two subscribing Witnesses.

4c. The combination, in a tug-belt, of an ROBERT REACH. 5 outer curvedmetallic bearing and an inner Witnesses:

cushion provided with a series of air-compart- A. W. KIDDLE,

ments, substantially as set forth. WM. A. BEDDING.

